Scope and Audience

This policy applies to all 7th, 8th, and high school students 

Course Eligibility

Students are eligible to take Honors, Advanced Placement, or Dual Enrollment Courses by meeting the following requirements

• Have at a B average in preceding subject area
• Teacher recommendation
• 3.0 GPA (for Dual Enrollment with Carson Newman)

LCS is committed to providing students with a rigorous academic experience that equips them to be life-long learners. In making decisions about advanced curriculum, we advise families to consider multiple factors. These factors include evaluation of a student’s academic capacity, extracurricular activities, family and church commitments, as well as teacher recommendation information. In the spirit of good stewardship, it is our desire that students have an academic schedule that meets their aptitude as well as nurtures their holistic development. Advanced curriculum substantially exceeds content standards, learning expectations, and performance indicators to standard courses. Teachers of Honors courses model instructional approaches that facilitate maximum interchange of ideas among students to include independent study, self-directed research and learning, and appropriate use of technology. 

All high school honor courses include multiple assessments and include a minimum of five of the following  components: 
1. Extended reading assignments that connect with the specified curriculum 
2. Research-based writing assignments that address and extend the course curriculum 
3. Projects that apply course curriculum to relevant or real-world situations 
4. Open-ended investigations in which the student selects the questions and designs the research 
5. Writing assignments that demonstrate a variety of modes, purposes, and styles 
6. Integration of appropriate technology into the course of study 
7. Deeper exploration of the culture, values, and history of the discipline 
8. Extensive opportunities for problem solving experiences through imagination, critical analysis, and application 

Dual Enrollment and Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level courses taught in high school that afford students the opportunity to earn college credit in addition to a high school credit. In order to earn college credit for AP courses, a student must attain a specific score on a national standardized examination. Students enrolled in AP courses are responsible for the end of the year exam cost, which is automatically charged to their student account. In dual enrollment courses, students must earn at least a C in order for the credit to transfer to a college. These courses replicate the workload of an introductory college course; therefore, students should expect outside work that is more rigorous than Honor level classes. Students who wish to take Honors, DE, or AP courses must have departmental approval.